A Carteret County man convicted of scamming county residents is headed to prison.

Matthew Claude Willis, 40, of the Davis community pleaded guilty to three felony counts of obtaining property by false pretenses for fraudulently selling raffle tickets he claimed were for a Boy Scout fundraiser, according to a news release from the office of District Attorney Scott Thomas.

In late August, Willis traveled around the Down East area of the county and tricked victims into buying $10 tickets for a chance to win a grand prize of a number of pounds of shrimp, ranging from 20 to 100 pounds.

A Boy Scout leader in the area heard about the scam and a sheriff’s office investigation found approximately 15 people who had been scammed by Willis.

Willis was on probation at the time for 2012 convictions for safecracking and felony larceny.

For his conviction for the scam, Willis was sentenced to a prison term of 6 to 17 months, which is to be served at the expiration of his sentence of 8 to 10 months in the probation case, the release said.

His total prison sentence is 14 to 27 months. He is also to pay restitution, attorney’s fees and court costs.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Katherine Taylor.